BMW X5 News

The explosive growth of the BMW model range is about to be defused in Australia. The line-up is being trimmed to cut competition and duplication, making it easier for customers in showrooms.The plan is to have only three choices of any individual model, with two petrol engines and one diesel. The current list includes 36 individual models in the 3 Series sedan line-up . . . without counting the coupe, convertible or station wagon.“We get a lot of questions about whether we have too many models. I think we do have too many,” BMW Australia managing director Guenther Seemann says.He believes BMW must cut the choices to streamline business, though he says there will still be all-new models in future — with the X6 four-wheel drive and M3 sedan up next — as the German company looks for customers.The work has begun, though there are a dozen individual BMW lines, from the baby 1 Series to the four-wheel-drive X5 and flagship 7-Series, with 50 official engine choices. BMW has 189 individual models on the list.“We've already begun tidying up. The 116i hatch has been removed from the range, there are the manuals in the 3 Series and one of the X3 manuals,” Seeman says.“In the 5 Series range, one of the V8s will go. I believe for each and every model line-up in the future, as we add models, we need two petrol and one diesel variant in each case. No more. We have so many different model lines, it is not practical or possible to display them all in a showroom.He says it will take time to get things sorted, partly because there are so many models.“It will happen in the next two years. Globally, there are five petrol and five diesel engine choices. And that is just in the 3 Series range,” he says.But there is definitely space for some additions, like the four-door M3 sedan.“We are starting the business case. It looks good, I must say,” he says.“We will bring the four-door version, but I do not know at what price. We always follow the normal BMW pattern, where a two-door is more expensive than a four-door. We have to price it lower than the M3 two-door.” 

BMW has combined its diesel expertise with innovative Active Hybrid technology in a concept car that could go into production sooner rather than later.Based on a BMW X5, the concept car demonstrates the potential of technology developed as part of the BMW Efficient Dynamics program.Boasting the worlds first all-aluminium diesel with a specific power output of over 65kW per litre of capacity and a generator as part of a mild hybrid concept, the vehicle uses a frugal 6.5-litres of fuel per 100km and emits 172g of carbon dioxide per kilometre.It has sporty driving dynamics and will accelerate from 0-100km/h in 8.9 seconds.The engine features a 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel engine with variable twin turbo, latest generation common rail injection and all-aluminium gearbox housing.It develops 150kW/400Nm.A compact generator, integrated in the gearbox housing, contributes to vehicle acceleration with 15kW and a maximum torque of 210Nm. The total output of the vehicle is 165kW.

Australia should have a diesel future within six years.BMW Australia boss Guenther Seemann believes the local car industry will follow Europe and become 80 per cent diesel, but only if Holden and Ford produce oil-burning Commodores and Falcons.“If I were CEO of these companies I would develop a diesel V8,” Seemann says.His comments come after BMW's own sales of diesels hit 33.1 per cent in January as the brand expands its diesel line-up.Seemann believes diesel will continue to grow because “there is no way down for petrol prices." The other factor in diesel growth, he says, is the advances in performance.BMW has entered the high-performance, four-wheel-drive fray with its new X5 3.0sd, a twin-turbo version of its six-cylinder diesel.It is aimed at taking on the sports-orientated diesel four-wheel-drives, including the Audi Q7 V8 TDI, Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI and Range Rover V8 Turbo Diesel.Though BMW reps concede the new model will take some sales from its current X5 3.0d, they are adamant the new car is crucial to the growth of the X5 and BMW's diesel future.“X5 business is very important to us,” the product and market planning manager for BMW Australia, David Lederer, says.“There's potential to grow that business by having a diesel that can get additional incremental sales.”He says thanks to the fuel efficiency of the diesels now being matched by performance, customers no longer see them as a compromise.“That's what our figures are showing. Diesel offerings are so good in terms of torque that I don't think people are buying them just because of efficiency. I think people are responding to the torque and dynamism.”On the road, the new X5 3.0sd is as expected. The strong chassis still stands out and the new engine provides even more of a chance to exploit it.BMW's solid reputation for building superb powerplants remains intact. The X5 is smooth and has plenty of torque to get the two-tonne four-wheel-drive up to speed.With 565Nm on tap from 2000 revs, the X5 isn't sluggish to accelerate, but it does lack some of the punch of the Touareg with its 750Nm.BMW's claimed consumption figure of 8.8 litres for 100km in combined city/country driving was optimistic during our test drive. Over the course of four hours of spirited driving on country roads, we averaged 11.7 litres for 100km.Given that this is another addition to the X5 range, BMW has kept the model line-up simple with only two variants; a standard 3.0sd and the option of a sports package.Prices for the entry-level 3.0sd start at $102,800 and the sports package begins at $107,300. 

Australia should have a diesel future within six years.BMW Australia boss Guenther Seemann believes the local car industry will follow Europe and become 80 per cent diesel, but only if Holden and Ford produce oil-burning Commodores and Falcons.“If I were CEO of these companies I would develop a diesel V8,” Seemann says.His comments come after BMW's own sales of diesels hit 33.1 per cent in January as the brand expands its diesel line-up.Seemann believes diesel will continue to grow because “there is no way down for petrol prices”. The other factor in diesel growth, he says, is the advances in performance.BMW has entered the high-performance, four-wheel-drive fray with its new X5 3.0sd, a twin-turbo version of its six-cylinder diesel.It is aimed at taking on the sports-orientated diesel four-wheel-drives, including the Audi Q7 V8 TDI, Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI and Range Rover V8 Turbo Diesel.Though BMW reps concede the new model will take some sales from its current X5 3.0d, they are adamant the new car is crucial to the growth of the X5 and BMW's diesel future.“X5 business is very important to us,” the product and market planning manager for BMW Australia, David Lederer, says.“There's potential to grow that business by having a diesel that can get additional incremental sales.”He says thanks to the fuel efficiency of the diesels now being matched by performance, customers no longer see them as a compromise.“That's what our figures are showing. Diesel offerings are so good in terms of torque that I don't think people are buying them just because of efficiency. I think people are responding to the torque and dynamism.”On the road, the new X5 3.0sd is as expected. The strong chassis still stands out and the new engine provides even more of a chance to exploit it.BMW's solid reputation for building superb powerplants remains intact. The X5 is smooth and has plenty of torque to get the two-tonne four-wheel-drive up to speed.With 565Nm on tap from 2000 revs, the X5 isn't sluggish to accelerate, but it does lack some of the punch of the Touareg with its 750Nm.BMW's claimed consumption figure of 8.8 litres for 100km in combined city/country driving was optimistic during our test drive. Over the course of four hours of spirited driving on country roads, we averaged 11.7 litres for 100km.Given that this is another addition to the X5 range, BMW has kept the model line-up simple with only two variants; a standard 3.0sd and the option of a sports package.Prices for the entry-level 3.0sd start at $102,800 and the sports package begins at $107,300. 

Land Rover Discovery 3 diesel for the serious four-wheel-driver, BMW X5 diesel for the luxury 4WD buyer and Nissan X-Trail for the recreational 4WD motorist.They are the winners of the three 4WD categories in Australia's Best Cars awards, decided by state motoring organisations, including the RAA.The judges consider safety, price, running costs, comfort, performance, security and retained value. Design, function and on-road ability - and in the case of 4WDs, offroad ability - also are scored.The awards have 12 categories, with three finalists short-listed for each category. Three of the categories are for 4WD vehicles.The Recreational 4WD category was won by the newly-updated Nissan X-Trail 2.5-litre four-cylinder. The ST version with CVT automatic transmission, priced at $33,990, came in ahead of Honda CR-V and Toyota Kluger.“Off-road, the new X-Trail shows why it is rated at the front of the recreational 4WD pack,” says the judging panel. “Nissan's intelligent All Mode 4x4 system is controlled by the twist of a centre console knob, which allows the driver to choose between front-wheel drive and fully automatic four-wheel drive.“A centre differential lock is also provided for improved off-road performance. Two new worthwhile standard features are a hill-descent control and a hill-start assist.”The Luxury 4WD award was won by BMW X5 three-litre diesel with a six-speed automatic. Priced at $86,800, it beat the Lexus RX350 (which won in 2006) and the Lexus RX400h hybrid version.Judges noted the Lexus beat the BMW in standard features, and that BMW charges heavily for options. Yet the BMW scored consistently high in all areas, coming tops in braking, handling, security and trebling the Lexus score in 4WD ability. “It's a moot point as to how much off-road work the X5 will do. But when called upon, it can deliver in spades,” say the judges. “Like many diesel engines, the three-litre oil-burner is powerful (160kW), flexible and frugal (potentially under 9 litres/100km) and puts out a tree-stump-pulling 500Nm of torque at 1750rpm.”The All-terrain is the category for more serious 4WDs, this time won by the Land Rover Discovery 3SE with the 2.7-litre V6 diesel and six-speed automatic. Priced at $74,990 it beat Mitsubishi Pajero VRX diesel and Toyota Prado GXL diesel, which each cost less.Judges say “prospective buyers can rest assured that once comfortable with the dollars, they will have one of the best-engineered 4WD vehicles on the market. At full suspension height, the approach and departure angles, as well as the overall ground clearance, will handle the worst bush tracks, while the degree of selectable suspension control means it does not dance around at higher speeds on corrugated roads.”Australia's Best Cars judges say buyers do not have to compromise between off-road capability and on-road comfort and performance.  

The NRMA Insurance reversing visibility index shows 12 vehicles, including the Toyota Corolla and Holden Commodore, fail to receive any stars in testing.The test, established because of the deaths of 17 children killed by reversing cars in driveways, measures how well a driver can see out of the back of the vehicle.Of the 12 vehicles with a zero rating, five fit into the small-to-medium segment.The result has prompted the NRMA to call on manufacturers to consider installing reversing camera technology in all cars, not just bigger vehicles.“Without a camera, blind space can range from 3m to 15m,” NRMA Insurance road safety manager Pam Leicester said.“That's a large range for children to be hidden from a driver's view.” With an average of one child run over in their own driveway every week, Ms Leicester said it was time to start focusing on improving visibility in all models.“There has been a focus on four-wheel-drives and reversing but as our results show, that's an issue for all types of vehicles right down to small cars,” Ms Leicester said.“This is a real concern because many of these vehicles have hazardous reversing blind areas, usually caused by high rear window lines and boots.”Vehicles that received a zero rating included the Holden Commodore (Epica and Viva), the Hyundai i30, Mitsubishi's Lancer and 380, Toyota's Corolla, Prado and RAV4, the Honda Civic and the Odyssey, as well as the Hummer H3.Overall, however, the results have improved from last year with more manufacturers adopting reversing cameras.This is especially the case in the four-wheel-drive and luxury segments. Only five vehicles offered reversing cameras either standard or as an option last year.The technology was available on 15 vehicles this year. They gained either a 4 1/2 or 5-star rating.Ms Leicester said they were particularly impressed with the new Toyota Kluger, which has a reversing camera as standard on all models.The top performers given a five-star rating were the BMW X5, Ford Territory, Honda Legend, Lexus GS430, IS250 and LS460, and the Toyota Kluger; all offering a camera as standard or as an option.“We encourage all manufacturers to start thinking about putting reverse cameras in their vehicles,” Ms Leicester said.“At the time of manufacture, it's a very small cost.”Ms Leicester said after-market reversing cameras also could improve visibility and were available for between $200 and $300. How they rated NRMA insurance reversing visibility indexBest: BMW x5, Ford Territory, Honda, Legend, Lexus GS430, Lexus IS250, Lexus LS460, Toyota KlugerWorst: Holden Commodore, Honda Civic, Honda Odyssey, Hyundai i30, Mitsubishi Lancer, Toyota Prado, Toyota Corolla 

BMW's X5 3.0-litre diesel, the all new Mercedes-Benz C280 and Holden's latest rendition of the tradie's sportscar, the VE Ute SV6, today join the previously announced contenders in the run to the winn

The XC90 Sport runs the transversely mounted 4.4-litre eight cylinder donk that was developed in association with Yamaha.It may not be endowed with the lashings of torque that Aussie-bred V8s develop but its a giggle to see the needle spin quickly to the top end.And then you tune in to the manic sound the engine creates when everything is singing.The XC90 Sport is not all about grunt and testosterone, but it rather reinforces just what a smart device this large SUV is and for the money it undercuts a lot of its higher selling rivals, the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML-Class.This Volvo is done with plenty of finesse and striking styling.Sometimes the chassis performance and steering is a little off song compared with others but the strengths of this car are compelling in other areas such as safety, comfort and packaging.The test car was equipped with the BLIS (Blindspot Information System) that illuminates a light on the inside door trim near where your eyes would catch the side mirrors.And what a particularly useful device it is, especially with the odd motorcycle which seems to appear suddenly and for those pesky vehicles that persist in travelling in the blindspot of another vehicle.There are head restraints for all-seven seating positions, which can also be cleverly folded over when not needed so the driver has an unimpeded view out the rear.The two, three, two layout of this SUV is also a snap to reconfigure. Packaging has always been a Volvo strength and the XC90 doesn't let the side down. If you have gear to load, children, whatever, and you need to play around with the seating arrangements, don't fear.The rear seats can be stowed away or clicked into place ready to use with one hand; with a simple lever and tab system; where the seat squab can be pulled or pushed and the seat back nudged into place or pulled forward to fold flat.The second row seats all have various degrees of split-fold and can be laid horizontal to create a massive, flat load area.There is abundant comfort inside and a commanding view from behind the steering wheel.Speaking of which the extra chunky steering wheel may not be everyone's cup of tea, particularly those with small hands like this tester.Inside there is plush trim throughout and excellent ergonomics.Fuel consumption nudged 15litres/100km on this drive which is on the high side but probably closer to real-world figures with weight and passengers on board. SnapshotVolvo XC90 V8 SportPrice: $89,950Engine: 3 starsRevvy number which spins up to the chunky end of the tacho in quick timeTransmission: 3 starsSmooth changing and quick to respondHandling: 3 starsWould be overshadowed by key Euro rivals but a none-the-less competent chassisSafety: 4 starsYou wouldn't feel any safer in a vaultValue: 3 starsHas a decided edge against some of its V8 rivals Tech specsBody: five-door, seven-seat wagonEngine: 4414cc quad cam V8Transmission: 6-speed automatic, sequentialPower: 232kW @ 5850rpmTorque: 440Nm @ 3900rpmWeight: 2102kgDimensions (MM): 4807 (l), 1909 (w), 1781 (h), 2857 (w'base)Fuel: 80 litres, 15l/100km (as tested city/highway) Verdict For: Build quality, packaging, user-friendly interiorAgainst: Engine down on torque, fuel economy is up there Overall: 3 starsHard to ignore at the price 

So which carmaker is the world's cleanest? Not sure? Well, an independent survey released last week has found that BMW has most improved its average fuel efficiency and CO2 emission rate. Indeed, it's done so to an extent which will embarrass other carmakers.The study, began from 1990-2005 by Environmental Defense, a US-based non-profit environmental advocacy group, which shows BMW has improved fuel economy by 14 per cent and carbon emissions by 12.3 per cent.The next best reduction was Toyota's 3 per cent. The C02 performance of every other leading carmaker deteriorated.BMW has made much of the fact that the report covers a period when its US sales increased fourfold.The Americans, of course, buy more big X5 SUVs than the rest of the world combined. The report, Automakers' Corporate Carbon Burdens, studied the impact of 12 major carmakers' product strategies on fuel efficiency and overall automotive carbon emissions.BMW improved fuel economy on several key models, including the 3 Series, 5 Series, 7Series, Z4 M Coupe, M5 Sedan and X5 SUV. Of course, the group's Mini Cooper accounted for almost half of BMW's overall fuel economy improvements.BMW Australia spokesman Toni Andreevski says the group has made further substantial improvements to fuel consumption and emissions since the end of the survey period.“Already in 2007, one-third of new BMWs sold in Europe have a CO2 rating of no more than 140g per kilometre,” he says. “Basically it is a great result that shows that we can continue to optimise current engines. It also shows petrol and diesel engines that outperform existing hybrid technology at comparable costs.”With its latest diesel and lean-burn direct-injection petrol engines, (the latter is no good for Australia because of the high sulphur content of our petrol) BMW has taken its own hybrid direction. This week at the Frankfurt motor show, it showcased its new dual-mode hybrid that returns a claimed 20 per cent economy improvement on the highway and in town.BMW's other more vaunted green gambit is the Hydrogen 7, the first hydrogen-powered luxury sedan. Driven in Germany last year by carsguide, the Hydrogen 7 emits primarily vapour when running on a non-petrol engine.Toyota rated second best, reducing CO2 3 per cent overall, a result in part due to its introduction of the Prius hybrid, but mainly to improvements made to the best-selling Corolla.The report also rated the overall 'carbon burden' that carmakers placed on the environment, derived from factors including vehicle emissions and the number sold. GM came out on top, with a 6.5per cent reduction in overall carbon burden, though its carbon emissions rose by 3 per cent. Toyota, while low in CO2, grew its carbon burden by 125 per cent because of an increase in overall sales. Snapshot: Carbon savings BMW: reduced 12.3 per centToyota: reduced 3 per centVolkswagen: up 1.3 per centSubaru: up 1.6 per centGeneral Motors: up 3per centMitsubishi: up 4 per centHonda: up 4.4 per centFord: up 4.7 per centDaimlerChrysler: up 4.8 per centNissan: up 9.2 per centHyundai: up 17 per centKia: up 30 per cent Source: US Environmental Defense group 

German chancellor Angela Merkel weighed in on the issue yesterday. In a speech in Beijing, she described plagiarism and copyright infringement in China as 'a big problem.'DaimlerChrysler said it would consider unspecified legal action if Chinese carmaker Shuanghuan Automobile showed the Noble, which it says closely resembles its Smart Fortwo minicar at next month's Frankfurt Motor Show.“We take intellectual property protection very seriously,” a DaimlerChrysler spokesman said.“We decided to reserve the right to pursue legal action.”BMW said it was considering legal action against the importer of another Shuanghuan vehicle the CEO, which it claims closely resembles a previous version of its X5 sports utility vehicle that was discontinued last year. Shuanghuan and China Automobile Deutschland, the importer, could not be reached for comment.Ms Merkel said “If suddenly a car turns up that looks like a Smart but isn't one, but rather a copy produced by not entirely legal means, then that's not good.”DaimlerChrysler, which following its sale of Chrysler, is due to change its name to Daimler in October has not elaborated on its legal plans, but the company is understood to have contacted Shuanghuan about the issue.The German company last year succeeded in stopping another Chinese producer, CMEC, from bringing to market another vehicle that closely resembled the Smart.Global carmakers, including Germany's, are seeking to entrench their positions in China, now the world's second-largest vehicle market after the US, while seeking to protect and enforce their intellectual property rights.More Chinese Cars: Great Wall Motors